Massachusetts & Mobilizing for GRACE: Resettlement at Risk
Almost 1/3 of resettlement offices in MA are closing. Here's what we can do.
Massachusetts Needs a Resettlement Floor
1/3 of Resettlement Offices Ending Services
At least three of Massachusetts’s eleven resettlement agencies will be ending their resettlement programs by the end of this year, decreasing the state’s resettlement capacity by almost one-third.
South Boston, Worcester, and Springfield will be directly impacted, with consequences rippling across the Bay State—particularly Western Massachusetts, which only hosts three resettlement offices.
Catholic Charities of Springfield has already closed their doors to newly-arriving refugees. After eight years of building resettlement infrastructure—“having started in 2017 with 13 arrivals…reaching 318 in the past year” and supporting over 1,500 newcomers total—the Diocese is transitioning away from refugee and immigrant services.
Catholic Charities of Boston and the Organization for Refugee and Immigrant Success—an affiliate of the Episcopal Church’s nation-wide refugee program ending in October—will also be concluding their resettlement services.
Layoffs of Local Staff
Even those offices that plan to continue providing resettlement services are struggling. Ascentria Care Alliance, which operates offices in West Springfield and Worcester, has “been forced to make layoffs within our programs that assist refugees and immigrants.”
They continue, “The staff affected by these cuts are deeply dedicated individuals who have spent their careers walking alongside refugees and immigrants as they rebuild their lives. Losing them is not just a loss for Ascentria—it is a loss for the communities we serve.”
“Never Been More Nervous and Concerned”
The Director of Jewish Family Services MetroWest—located in Framingham—summed up the concerning state of resettlement in Massachusetts:
“Right now, we are facing some of the most challenging times I’ve seen in my 17 years with JFS. I have never been more nervous and concerned. Across our community, we see the impact of shrinking protections and harsh public policies. Families concerned for their safety regardless of their documentation status. Older adults aging alone. Children caught in the crosshairs of uncertainty. . .
The stakes have never been higher. Federal support is shrinking. The Common Wealth’s [sic] cannot cover all the gaps. Needs are growing. And every day, more families, immigrants, and older adults come to our doors looking for help, for safety, for a lifeline.”
The Solution: A Resettlement Floor
Massachusetts needs a resettlement floor.
Without one, the state’s welcoming infrastructure—decades in the making—will continue to shrink. Bay Staters will lose their jobs, refugees will lose their opportunity for safety, and Massachusetts will lose their talents.
Ascentria called on Massachusettsans to speak up to save resettlement: “Now, more than ever, we need your voice. If you are able, please consider advocating for policy change or reaching out to your networks to spread awareness about what is happening.”
Massachusetts’s Senators are strong champions for a statutory floor, with Senator Markey serving as The Guaranteed Refugee Admissions Ceiling Enhancement (GRACE) Act’s primary Senate sponsor.
But there’s more work to do. Senator Markey and Senator Warren need to prioritize building bipartisan support for a statutory floor during the forthcoming reintroduction and Massachusetts House members need to co-sponsor the bill—of which, zero added their names last session.
Here’s how Massachusetts can help build a movement for a resettlement floor.
Level-up Legislative Advocates
Resettlement agencies in Massachusetts have been in Boston this month—stumping the state to fill the federal funding gap.
Alongside a coalition of resettlement agencies and service providers, Vasker Neupane, a refugee from Nepal, shared how he has turned the state’s investment in resettlement to an investment into Massachusetts by becoming both an aerospace engineer and officer in the U.S. military.
State legislators responded. Senator Robyn Kennedy proposed a budget amendment “to revive the Massachusetts Resettlement Support Program through a budget amendment (#498) and deliver $500,000 to agencies that are contracted with the U.S. Department of State.”
She also proposed legislation to study the state’s resettlement infrastructure gaps—gaps that are sure to only grow over the next several years. Representative LeBoeuf joined her, introducing a parallel bill in the House.
Once passed and completed, studies like these can be used to demonstrate the importance of a statutory floor to Massachusetts’s Congressional delegation. Resolutions calling for a resettlement minimum can do similarly.
At the very least, Senator Kennedy, Representative LeBoeuf, and other state representatives impacted by the Trump Administration’s indefinite suspension of the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program should continue their advocacy outside of state session and schedule meetings with their federal counterparts to discuss the need to build bipartisan support for The GRACE Act.
In the words of Rabbi James Greene, CEO of Jewish Family Service of Western Massachusetts:
"What we're here doing today is to talk with our state legislators and say the federal government is abdicating its responsibility…We need the support of our state to step in and step up and be with us in this work because the long-term interests of Massachusetts, of our commonwealth, are served by welcoming people."
Gather for GRACE
Massachusetts hosts robust communities of refugee and immigrant advocates. The Massachusetts Immigrant & Refugee Advocacy (MIRA) Coalition, alone, has over 100 members.
These organizations can incorporate GRACE Act advocacy into existing activities, tapping into networks of support and connecting lived experience with migration in Massachusetts to policy solutions that last.
Refugee Town Halls
The State Legislature created one of the first state Offices for Refugees and Immigrants (ORI) in 1992, which continues to provide education, employment and citizenship programming, support emergency preparedness efforts, and facilitate participation in local government today.
ORI partners with local governments—like Boston, Lowell, and Worcester—to host refugee town halls. These town halls “provide an inclusive approach to highlighting clients’ concerns and provide durable responses over the long term, whether in the shape of emerging programming, increased public and private partnership, or policy development.”
Adding local support for a statutory floor to the agenda dovetails with the objective of building “durable responses over the long term”—ensuring Massachusetts’s resettlement infrastructure can outlast future presidential whims.
Massachusetts municipalities should formally express support for a bipartisan statutory floor by incorporating the issue into their federal advocacy agendas or through local resolutions.
Boston’s Belonging Festival
Every year, the Mayor’s Office for Immigrant Advancement (MOIA) hosts a “City of Belonging Festival”—a series of events that welcome the world to Boston.
This year, the Festival will include a gallery, a concert, a dance party, and other community events. Each of these gatherings is an opportunity for resettlement advocates to stump for a statutory floor.
Flyers, face-to-face conversations, and phone calls can connect constituents to their elected officials—ensuring Massachusetts’s Congressional delegation hears about a statutory floor straight from the source.
Galas & Annual Meetings
Resettlement agencies can also prioritize advocacy efforts for a statutory floor at their annual galas and meetings—rallying donor, volunteer, and board member support.
Over a two week period, Massachusetts’s resettlement support communities are hosting three large events to raise support for refugees: The MIRA Coalition’s Annual “Give Liberty a Hand” Gala, which took place last Thursday; The International Institute of New England’s Centennial Golden Door Award Gala, which will be held this Wednesday; and JFS of MetroWest’s Annual Meeting, which occurs next Monday.
Every gathering of resettlement providers and advocates should include a call to action in support of a statutory floor. Repetition is power—as is solidarity.
Massachusetts can maximize its current efforts by making GRACE a central call to action. Members of Congress will only prioritize a resettlement minimum if we first prioritize it ourselves.
Massachusetts Can Do More
Massachusetts is a leader in calling for a statutory floor—but more can and needs to be done to pass a resettlement minimum and secure the state’s resettlement infrastructure against executive whims.
By leveling-up legislative champions and gathering for GRACE, Massachusettsans can build a resettlement program that lasts—one refugees, and Massachusetts, can rely on.
Thanks for reading Save Resettlement.
Next Week, Michigan & Raising our Collective Voices
In the meantime, read more about how Massachusetts’s refugees are giving back and becoming authors, nurses, home health aides, biotech CEOs and board members.
